Method of making boxes.



R. G. INWOOD & P. U. INTENBERG. I

METHOD OF MAKING BOXES.

; APPLICATION FILED M221; 1214.

1,128,252. A Patented Feb. 9, 1915.' I 2 BHEETSSHEET 1.

z z g. 41

, zvemfars Bax/Md 6. Inwa 0d,

R. G. mwoon & P. c. LAVBNBBRG. METHOD OF MAKING BOXES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 21, 1914' Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z.

Z0 I fZUmwrJ' Riahami Glnwood,

entra n srarns PATENT enrich RICHARD o. INwoon AND PERRY o. LA ENBERG, or SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGN- ons, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 WIREZBOUNDS PATENTS COMPANY, or KITTERY,

MAINE, A. CORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHOD OF MAKING BOXES.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Original application filed October 4, 1904, Serial No. 228,443. Divided and this application filed April 21, a 1914. Serial No. 833,353.

ToaZZ whom it may concern Be it known that we, RICHARD G. INwooD and PERRY CI LAVENBERG, both'citizens of the United States, and residents of South Bend, county of St. Joseph, State of Indiana, have invented an Improvement in I Methods of Making Boxes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,

like characters on the drawings-representing like parts.

This invention relates to the manufacture of wirebound boxes and pertains more particularly to methods of making wirebound boxes, box blanks, or blank sections, by appropriately assembling and securing t0- geth'er box 'parts' comprising side material in the form of asheet or sheets or strips,

separate or individual cleats, and fastening means such, for'instance, as staples which may be driven astride of binding wires and through the side material into the cleats.

The present application is a ivision of our copending application .Serial No. 228,443, filed Oct. 4, 1904; and the method invention defined in the claims appended hereto may be .conveniently explained by reference to the illustrative work-controlling means disclosed in said copending application as a so-called combined carriage and former suitable for use in making wirebound boxes.

One of the objects. of the invention is to,

provide for a convenient method of assembling and securingtogether box parts, which is readily applicable to commercial practices on a large scale employing relatively unskilled labor. By employing a method embodying the invention a'box-maker'is enabled to practice a great many substantial economies which in the art.

. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the combined car rier and former; Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, showing a portion of the channeled bar and adjustable spacing block slidably mounted thereon; F ig.f3 is a transverse section on the line 'ww of Fig. 2, showing the channeled bar, the divided spacing block and means forclamping the .latter to the bar; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the'bar and spacing block mounted there- Will appear to those skilled on, showing the adjustment of the separate block members relative to each other, so as to increaseor decgease the intervening space between cleat ends as theyare assembled on the carriage; .Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional detail of one of the bars comprispositioned on the carriage and means for holding the sheetsagainst' displacement upon.

the cleats; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of 'a cleat bar showing a cleat in position between the spacing block and means for holding the cleat firm in the cleat bar;

The combined carriageand former preferably comprises two longitudinal plates or bars 1, which are connectedand firmly held together parallel with each other, and at a distance apart corresponding'to the length of the box sheets, or boards, by lengthwise adjustable cross bars 2, which are centrally slottedand'held together by clamping thumb screws, allowing the bars 1 to be adjusted soas to increase or decrease the width of. the carriage. The longitudinal bars or plates are provided with dovetailed grooves 3, and

. side flanges 4, extending above the face of. the bed plate 5, upon which the box cleats' block 6 comprising two members 7, having diagonal or inclined integral face portions 8, which terminate on theirlower outer ends in approximately V-shaped extensions 9, 9, conforming with and meshing with the dovetail grooves 3, of the barsl, thus preventingvertical displacement of said'spacing blocks but allowing a sliding engagement therewith, so that the blocks may be adjusted justed, are locked against displacement by clamping screws 10, which draw the parts together and clamp the members 9 to the bed plate 5, the said members normally slid- .100 relative to each other for diflerent lengths of cleats. The block members 7, when ading freely in said bed plate when not clamped thereto.

In the manufacture of box blanks of the type for which the carriage and former is intended to be used, it is necessary that the cleats be relatively positioned in cooperative,

foldable relationship, so that in folding the v blanks after the box members are stapled together preparatory to fastening box ends in thereto, the mitered or step mitered ends will mesh perfectly. in one desired cooperative foldable relationship between one box section and thenext, as illustrated in Fig. 5,

the interval between adjacent cleat ends appropriate to' the mutual engagement of the parts when folded, may depend upon *the thickness of the side material for the box, the greater the thickness of such side material the greater the corresponding space provided between the cleat ends. To allow for this variation in the manufacture of different strength boxes which requires corresponding variations in the thickness of sheets, one member of each spacing block is provided with a slot 11, through which the clamping screw 10 projects, the extremity 10 of said screw only being screw threaded and engages with a screw threaded tap in the adjoining member of the spacing block.

so It will thus be seen that one member may be adjusted relative to the other (see Fig. 4)

so that the space between the cleats will be increased or decreased as may be required. In order to hold the sheets against dis.- placement upon the cleats as the carriage is passed through the stapling machines, two arms 12 are pivoted respectively to the end cross bars 2 at 13, and their free ends con nected by a rod 14, which is swung over on to the sheets and rests thereon, the weight of the rod holding them against displacement (see'Fig. 6) As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the arms 12 are pivoted to rock substantially in the planes of the adjacent edges of the side 4 sheets B and consequently, as will appear to those skilled in the art, one or both said arms'will serve as a stop or stops to position the side-sheet material in relation to the ca rriage and the cleats held by the spacers 6. Since the sheets, as shown in Fig. 5, may abut at their edges, the arms 12 may serve to hold all the sheets properly positioned. a In practice the spacing blocks are adjusted on the cleat barsso as to conform to the width of the box to be manufactured,-

the length of the cleats determining the w dth of the box sides. This being accomplished the cleats A are positioned on the bars between the spacing blocks and the sheets B placed thereon so that the edges oln, after which the retaining bar 14 is swung over so as to rest on the sheets, and hold them against displacement. This accomplished, the carrier with its assembled $5 boxparts is passed through a stapling ma niaaaaa chine and the sheets stapled to the cleats over a stay or reinforcing wire, which holds the sections together when the blank is removed from the former. Fig. 6 also shows the stay wires O and the staples D which straddle said wires. When the carriage is withdrawn from the machine and the completed box blank is removed therefrom, the same operation is repeated. 1

It is obvious that several-carriages may be used for feeding the blanks to a single stapling machine. In order td hold the cleats firmly in the channels and against the outer flange of the cleat bar, so that the cleats will register with the edges of the sheets, and to prevent wobbling of the cleats and possible displacement, we provide plate springs 15, which are secured-at one end to the inner flange of the bar, and their free ends having a constrictive engagement with said bar, the spring normally being distended or bulged in toward the center ofthe bar, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 7. The spring being depressed as the cleat is inserted as indicated by full lines, thus firmly binding the cleat in position on the bar.

Prior to the invention of the present method it had been the practice, in making Wirebound boxes, to employ side material with long cleat strips which were first stapled to the binding wire and side matcrial and then subsequently severed by stepmitering the cleat-strips at the points intended for the box corners. This practice necessitated the use of substantial lengths of high grade cleat material. it is one of the advantages or this invention, however, that small pieces of waste material may be used for the cleats which may be completely finished in the form which they are to have in the completed box and may be then suitably assembled and secured together with the side material and other cleats. Similarly, a preferred form of product which may be made by a method embodying this invention, may comprise separate previously formed side sheet sections, each for an individual box side, and composed of one or more strips or sheets of the side material.

litis deemed unnecessary to show or to describe herein a-ny stapling machine to cooperate with the illustrative work-controlling means of the present drawings; a suitable machine for such purpose is shown in our co-pending application Serial l lo. 230,249, filed Oct. 27, 1904.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that one practicable method embodying the features of this invention com prises the preparation of individual side sheets and individual cleats in desired number and in substantially finished form, before assembling in the form of a blank or box; and after such preliminary preparation of parts, assembling them in desired masses spacedrelation to suit the requirements of the finished box; and securing the side units wholly around the finished box, so as to constitute a reinforcing and strengthening belt encircling the finished article.

A desired 'spaced relation of the parts is well exemplified by the illustrative construction shown in enlarged detail in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, the cleats 20, 21, and side sheets 22, 23, are shown at an intended 0x corner. The specific cleats there shown for illustration are step-mitered. It will be noted that a cleat 20 and its connected sheet 22 are 'so disposed *that'the end of the cleat is spaced more or less from the edge .of said sheet-that margin 24 of the sheet between the end of the cleat and the extreme edge of the sheet providing what may be termed an overlap margin adapted'to overlap the edge of the next adjacent sheet. The illustrative method hereinbefore described in connection with the mechanical former, provides (as exemplified by the spacer blocks for the cleats) for one species of overlap margin, as shown in Fig. 5; and

preferably such a relative arrangement of' cleats and side sheets provides an overlap margin for each corner of the box, the result being tight closures at'the corners in which the meeting edges of the side sheets, though separate, mate desirably. These meetingside edges are preferably not connected to each other in any manner except by the cleats and-the binding wires. As indicated in Fig. 5, the sheets. 22, 23 may have their edges close together; and when the parts are desired to be folded into box form the side sheet 23 may be pressed downwardly to engage its edge under the overlap margin 24, and then said sideunit 23 may be rocked into a position, perpendicular to "the side unit 22. Obviously, with the illustrative spacing indicated in Fig. 5, this folding may have the-effect of tensioning the wire over the box corner, as by forcing the wire to press or cut into the corner of the side sheet 22; and thus the wire may be placed under substantial tension to hold it tight and to hold the parts of the box in a tightly closed overlapping relation.

When the separate side units described above, are assembled with each other and connected by wire, the connection between the side units is readily flexible, permitting them to be adjusted and folded into box form with the corner parts in proper engagement, very expeditiously and without requiring any substantial-skill in the ad ustment.

One preferred form of box made by a method embodying this invention haseach side sheet and unit separate from the adjacent side sheets and units; the meeting edges of two sheets merely overlap and are preferably not connected in any Way save by the flexible binding wires and by such interengagement as the cleats may have. Hence, when a strain in a diagonal direction is brought to bear upon the box, tending to distort it by crushing one corner toward the diagonally opposite corner, there is a tendency for certain of the side sheets to move lengthwise in relation to other adjacent side sheets, but no strain is transmitted directly from one such side sheet to another. the contrary, the transmission of strains is performed almost entirely by the wires. In

other words, the strains at the box corner.

edges-the points at which the strains tend to be the most 'destructiveare resisted by the tensile strengths of the wires themselves, while the meeting edges of the side sheets merely tend to slide upon each other without mutual strain. The wiresbeing universally flexible laterally and-being fastened to the say, when two or more sheets on a.' single side are strained with the, tendency to move relatively at their meeting edges, they are permitted to do so without requiring the Wood to sustain the strain which is,"'in fact, resisted by the tensile strength of the wires.

Obviously, when the wires are secured to the side sheets by staples or other equivalent means, ordinarily there remains some capacity of the wires,'under heavy pulls, to slip or creep'in relation to the staples or other fastening devices. A heavy strain 'to the'box-distor'ting it and causing the d scribed relative movement of the meeting edges of side sheets-may cause-the-wire to slip somewhat in relation to the fastening devices and sides so that the strain applied to a wire at one point is transmitted throughout a considerable length of the wire, and is. not applied to'the box sides except by the frictional grip between the staples" and.wires which, in-many instances, will slip before the sides will split or break.

For-the reasons explained, the rigidity and ultimate' strength of the box, especially against diagonal strains, depends very largely upon the tensile strength of the binding wires which, being freely flexible, autowhich tendjto distort the box, and to transmit those strains along the'length of the wire, to a considerable and important extent independently of any resistance by the box sides themselves. Obviously, a method which can produce a product of this character, admits of the use of a cheap and lightweight material to which the necessary strength and rigidity are most effectively added by the described mode ofv application of the wire binding. In other words, a method embodying this invention provides, in a manner excellently adapted to commercial practices, for the use of the cheap wire with thin cheap wood or other box material, whereby the cheap wire is a most efficient substitute for the expensive excess thickness of wood which would otherwise be required. The availability of the tensile strength of the wire provided for by this invention, adds to a box such great strength as could not be procured by other method except by the use of an excess thickness of stock costing many times the cost of the wire.

Other advantages resulting from the described method, in addition to those pointed out above for illustration, will appear to those skilled in the art.

'Obviously, this invention is not limited to the specific details of procedure described above for illustration, nor is it limited in its application to any particular mechanical contrivances, although a method embodying the invention is especially well adapted to be practised by means of machinery. It is to be understood, further, that it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be employed in a single method, since the features may be used to advantage sepa rately as defined in the subjoined claims.

Claims:

1. The method of making wirebound boxes having individual cleats and individual side pieces separated at the lateral corner edges of the completed box and connected by wires at said edges, which comprises assembling a pair of previously formed individual cleats with separate previously formed side material for an individual side to provide a side unit of the box; assembling additional such side units to provide the other sides of the box; securing to the cleats of each side unit a wire binding extending completelv across said unit; connecting said side units bv said wirebinding, while leaving the latter laterally flexible to accommodate relative longitudinal shifting of the separate meeting edges of the side units; arranging said side units in box form; providing them with end closures; and completing the continuity of the wire binding; whereby relative longitudinal shifting of any or all the meeting edges of the side units tends to bend the wire binding out of normal alinement, and is resisted by the tensile strength of the wire.

2. The method of making wirebound raaaaea boxes having individual cleats and individual side pieces separated at the lateral corner edges of the completed box and connected by wires at said edges, which comprises assembling previously formed individual cleats with the separate previously formed side material for an individual side to provide a side unit of the box; assembling additional'such side units to provide the other sides of the box; securing to the cleats of each side unit a wire binding extending completely across said unit; connecting said side units by said wire binding, while leaving the latter laterally flexible to accommodate relative shifting of the separate meeting edges of the pieces of side material; ar-. ranging said side units in box form; and completing the continuity of the wire binding; whereby relative longitudinal shifting of meeting edges of pieces of side material tends to bend the wirebinding out of normal alinement, and is resisted by the tensile strength of the wire.

3. The method of making wirebound boxes having individual cleats and individual side pieces separated at the lateral corner edges of the completed box and connected by wires at said edges, which comprises assembling previously formed individual cleats with separate previously 'formed side material for an individual side to provide a side unit of the box; assembling additional such side units to provide the other sides of the box; securing to-each side unit a wire binding extending completely across said unit; con necting said side units by said wire binding, while leaving the latter laterally flexible to accommodate relative shifting of the separate meeting edges of the side units; arranging said side units in box form; and completing the continuity of the wire-binding; whereby relative longitudinal shifting of any or all the meeting'edges of the side units tends to bend the wirebinding out of normal alinement, and is resisted by the tensile strength of the wire.

4. The method of making wirebound boxes having individual cleats and individual side pieces separated atthe lateral corner edges of the completed box and connected by Wires at said edges, which comprises assembling previously formed individual cleats with separate previously formed side material for an individual side,- to provide a side unit of thebox; assembling additional side units to provide the other sides of the box; securing to each said side unit wirebinding extending completely across said unit, while leaving said wirebinding free from attachment to the side unit proximate the lateral edges thereof; connecting said side units by said wirebinding while leaving the latter laterally flexible to be bent at the edges of the side units upon relative longitudinal shifting of the separate meeting edges thereof;

arranging said side units in box form; and completing the continuity of the wirebinding; whereby relative longitudinal shifting of any or all the meeting edges of the side units tends to bend the wirebinding out of normal alinement, and is resisted by the securing to each side unit a wirebinding extending completely across said unit; positioning the edges of the .side units close enough together to tension the wires when said units are folded in box form; and leaving the wire connections laterally flexible to accommodate relative shifting of the separate meeting edges of the side units; arranging said side units ;in box form; and completing the continuity of the wirebinding; whereby relative longitudinal shifting of any or all the meeting edges of the side units tends to bend the wirebinding out of normal alinement, and is resisted by the tensile strength of the wire.

6. The method of making wirebound boxes having individual cleats and individual side pieces separated at the lateral corner edges of the completed box andconnected by wires 7 at said edges, which comprises assembling previously formed individual cleats with separate previously formed side material for an individual side unit, a cleat end 'being spaced from an extreme edge of the side material to leave an overlap margin on said side material to mate with a corresponding portion of another side unit; assembling additional such side units with cleats and side material so spaced to provide an overlap wirebinding and leaving the latter laterally flexible to accommodate relative shifting of the separate meeting edges of pieces of side material; arranging said side unlts in box' form; and completing the continuity of the wirebinding, whereby relative longitudinal shifting of meeting edges of pieces of'side material tends to bend the wirebinding out of normal alinement, and is resisted by the tensile strength of the wire.

7. The method of making wirebound boxes having individual cleats and individual side pieces separated at the lateral corner edges of the completed box and connected by wires at said edges. which comprises assembling previously formed individual cleats with separate previously formed side material for anindividual side to provide side unit of the box; assembling additional such side units to provide other sides of the box; securing to each said side unit a wirebinding extending completelyacross said unit; connecting said units by saidwirebinding while leaving the side units otherwise wholly disconnected and separate; arranging said side units in box form; and completing the continuity of the wirebinding, to complete the connections of the side units while leaving said side units wholly disconnected at all lateral corner edges of thebox except by the wires and cleats, whereby relative longitudinal shifting of any or all the meeting edges of the side units tends to bend the wirebinding out ofnormal alinement, and is resisted by the tensile strength of the wire.

8. The method of making wirebound boxes having individual cleats and individual side pieces separated at the lateral corner edges of the completed box and connected by Wires'at said edges, which comprise assembling previously formed individual cleats with separate previously formed side material for an individual side to provide a side unit of the box; assembling additional" such side units to provide the other sides of the box; securing to each said side unita wirebinding extending completely across said unit and fastened thereto frictionally by straddling fasteners; connecting said units by said wire-binding While leaving the latter laterally flexible to accommodate relative shifting of the separate meeting edges of pieces of side material; arranging said side units in box form; and completing the continuity of the wirebinding to encircle the box by the binding frictionally secured to the side units thereof; whereby relative longitudinal shifting of meeting edges of pieces of side material tends tobend the wirebind: ing out of normal alinement, and resisted by the tensile strength of the wire which is permitted a suflicient capacity to creep under its frictional fastenings to transmit the longitudinal strains along substantial lengths of wire.

9. A method of making box blanks which comprises assembling a plurality of box sections in cooperative foldable relationship; and foldably connecting said sections in said relationship by wires extending across the I'espective sections to substantial distances from the corner line and secured against substantial lateral displacement on the sections within said distances, and leaving said side sections otherwise substantially disconnected to permit relative longitudinal shift ing of meeting edges of the said sections and bending of the wire to resist such shifting by its tensile strength.

10. A method of making box blanks which comprises assembling in cooperative fold= able relationship a series of box sections each comprising individual cleats and side material; and securing a substantially continuous length of wire along the respective series of cleats for foldably connecting the sections in succession.

11. A method of making box blanks which comprises assembling a'plurality of cleats substantially end to end with the adjacent cleat'ends in cooperative foldable relationship; and securing side material and binding wires to the cleats so assembled to connect foldably the adjacent cleat ends, the side material having been previously prepared to facilitate folding along the lines of the intended box corners proximate the cleat ends.

12. Amethod of making box blanks which comprises assemblin in cooperative foldable relationship, a p urality of box sections having their edges close enough together to tension the wires 'and cause them to tend to cut into the edges of the sections when said sections are folded in box form; and fold ably connecting said sections in said relationship by wires extending across the respective sections to substantial distances from the corner and secured to the sections against substantial lateral displacement within said distances.

13. A method of making box blanks which comprises assembling in cooperative foldable relationship a series of box sections with their edges close enough together to tension the connecting wires and cause them.

to tend to cut into the edges of said sections when folded; and foldably connecting, by wire, said sections'in said relationship.

14:. A method of making box blanks which comprises assembling groups of box parts, said groups including box parts for nonadjacent sides of the intended box positioned apart a distance appropriate to the.

dimensions of the box between said non-adjacent sides; and foldably connecting said groups by wires extending over the space between the groups 15. A. method of making box blanks which comprises assembling groups of box parts, said groups including box parts for oppositely disposed sides of the intended box, and each said group comprising members to be located near the ends of and extending transversely of the intended box sides; posi tioning said groups with said members disposed substantially in line and with the groups for opposite sides a distance apart appropriate to the dimensions'of the box between said oppositely disposed sides; and foldably connecting said groups by wires secured thereto and extending over the spaces therebetween.

' 16. A method of making box blanks which comprises assembling and foldably connecting by wire extending across from groups of box parts to form two or more sides of a box, but including at least two sides so arranged as to be opposite each other when folded toform the box, and so folding said parts.

17. The method of making box blanks which comprises assembling with side material foldable along substantial parallel corner lines, box members to be secured to said side material between and disposed transversely of corner lines thereof and near the extremities of said corner lines, said members for respective sides being spaced endwise one from another a predetermined distance permitting them to be foldably connected and folded into a predetermined relation in forming a box; and foldably connecting said members by wires extending along said members and secured thereto and to the side material permitting the side material, said members and the wires to be folded together. I

In testimony whereof, we'have signed our names to this specification, each in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD G. INWOOD.- PERRY C. LAVENBERG.

Witnesses SAMUEL M.- Roerxson, ETHEL FRYE. 

